2012-05-27
post/23839041600
Scientists study the phases of the moon on lunar models in preparation for an eventual manned flight to moon.
Love those circles-on-globes. Photographer: Fritz Goro.
2012-05-11
post/22823110881
The Lunar Ranging Retroreflector, as placed on the Moon by Apollo 15:
The Laser Ranging Retroreflector experiment has produced many important measurements. These include an improved knowledge of the Moon’s orbit and the rate at which the Moon is receding from Earth (currently 3.8 centimeters per year) and of variations in the rotation of the Moon. These variations in rotation are related to the distribution of mass inside the Moon and imply the existence of a small core, with a radius of less than 350 kilometers.
2012-04-24
post/21726192969
Charting American vs. Russian Space Projects in 1961
This must be from very early in 1961, since it predates Gagarin’s orbit and Shepard’s suborbital hop. It’s interesting to compare to how the timelines actually shook out, too (someone with better graphic design skills can make that one happen, though).
I assume it’s from either Time or Life; probably Life, but I’m not quite expert enough in their house styles to tell.
2012-04-07
post/20647508332
Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., Apollo 12 commander, using a 70mm handheld Haselblad camera by NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr.
I’ve always loved the aesthetic effect of the grid-marks on the photographs that were taken by the Apollo mission Hasselblads.
2012-04-02
post/20326161947
Final fitting of the A7L spacesuit for one of the Apollo 17 astronauts (possibly Harrison Schmitt), from the Project Apollo Gallery (image ap17-72-H-314).
This one’s as much for the cheeky chaps in the background as for the spacesuit itself. It’s worth looking at some of the other photos on that site, too, such as this image of the suit in launch position.
2012-04-01
post/20312250092
It’s been two weeks since I posted Mark and Roland Cunningham’s X-ray photograph of Alan B Shepard’s Apollo 14 spacesuit, which is now at well over 8,500 notes (thanks to being featured on Tumblr’s Radar).
I wasn’t the first (and I’m sure I won’t be the last) to post this image. For example, it was featured in an article on the Smithsonian’s spacesuit collection in the New York Times, along with annotations. Nonetheless, thanks to all of you who liked or reblogged the image, and those of you who’ve tagged along as followers since. (captioned image via)
post/20296781908
Nicholas de Monchaux replying to questions in an interview about Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo, at Txchnologist.
(See also.)
2012-03-19
post/19566697977
A&S: What were the advantages of the hard suit versus the soft suit? Why two totally different kinds?
Elkins: There are some advantages of the hard suit, although I did not remain a proponent of it. The hard suit had value for being able to go to much higher pressures. The higher you go, the less likely you are to have the bends when exiting a higher-pressure space vehicle. So if you were wearing one, you could scramble to do an emergency [spacewalk] because you didn’t have to pre-breathe for four hours. It’s a very mobile little spaceship, if you will. Vic Vykukal, a NASA Ames engineer, also did pioneering work on the hard suit. Although it demonstrated excellent mobility, it was heavier because of the hard structural components, and the joints did not exhibit the long-life capability of the toroidal joint.
The soft suit came from a line of pressure suits used by the Air Force and Navy. BF Goodrich’s soft suits for the Mercury project were evolved from a Navy pressure suit. David Clark made soft suits for Gemini. Then ILC came into the Apollo program. They all came from that same soft emergency pressure suit lineage. It was a question of cultures and politics within the R&D labs. There was the West Coast technology such as Litton, and NASA’s Ames Research lab; but then the older timers from the East who knew soft suits. Ultimately, soft suits won out.
”post/19559159265
DuPont materials in the A7L Apollo space suit (via the Space Science, Astronomy, and Astrophysics forum at Alien Scientist.)
